Duke Snider. Griffey Jr & Sr. Honus Wagner. Ford, Mantle, and Martin. Toni Stone.
Duke Snider celebrating during what I assume is Game 7 of the 1955 World Series at Yankee Stadium. I can’t even explain how much I love this photo.
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Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr. during the time they shared as Mariners teammates in the early ’90s.
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Honus Wagner during his 19 year stint as a coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ coach. The Flying Dutchman served as a coach for the Pirates from 1933 to 1952. Even in senior years he was still a fan favorite as he was friendly, accessible to fans, and would often still take fielding and batting practice. I think it’s safe to say Wagner loved the game of Baseball.
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Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, and Billy Martin: The Original Party Animals.
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Toni Stone during her time with the Indianapolis Clowns. Stone was the first of 3 women to play in the Negro Leagues and during her professional career played for the San Francisco Sea Lions, New Orleans Creoles, New Orleans Black Pelicans, Indianapolis Clowns and Kansas City Monarchs. Even though she played during the same era as the All-American Girls Baseball League, she was not eligible to play due to the league not allowing any non-white players.
A very cool story is that Toni got a hit off of Satchel Paige during her career! Here is a quote from her NLPA page regarding what she claims was the happiest day of her life:
Toni Stone’s most memorable baseball moment came when she played against the lenendary Satchel Paige in 1953 ” He was so good,” she remembered, ” That he’d ask batters where they wanted it, just so they’d have a chance. He’d ask ‘”You want it high? You want it low? You want it right in the middle? Just say. People still couldn’t get a hit against him. So I get up there and he say, “hey, T, how do you like it? And I said, It doesn’t matter just don’t hurt me”. When he wound up–he had these big old feet–all you could see was his shoe. I stood there shaking, but I got a hit. Right out over second base. Happiest moment in my life.
Read up on Toni on her NLPA page and Wiki page, it’s very interesting stuff.
ninety feet of perfection. 